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Course Guide

Annual Course Scheduling

A general course offerings schedule has been created to assist with your degree program planning. Please note that, while every effort will be made to offer courses on this schedule, offerings are subject to change at any time.

 

Core Education

  • EDUC 5001G - Principles of Learning

    This course serves as an introduction to the variety of ways that human learning is thought about within educational contexts. Students will examine theory and research about learning through the lenses of education, psychology, and neuroscience. The course will explore research, theory and key concepts of how people learn. Students will connect the theoretical approaches to their own learning and relate concepts to more practical applications. Students will engage in critical reflection on their own knowledge and approaches to developing sound environments for learning. This course is required for all MEd and MA students.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Develop critical awareness of learning theories and educational research, their scopes and limitations, via participation in a culture of disciplined inquiry that includes collaborative and independent practices
    2. Analyze, reflect upon and articulate personal and disciplinary limits of knowledge, both theoretical and praxis-based, and the resulting ambiguities in interpretation and analysis
    3. Interrogate identity and beliefs about education, learning and knowledge
    4. Develop an awareness of the cyclical and recursive nature of learning, as well as one’s own development throughout the process, producing artifacts and analyzing their own process of learning
  • EDUC 5002G - Introduction to Research in Education

    This course provides a general introduction to research in education. Students will critically examine the purposes, benefits and limitations of education research.  Students will also explore and assess methods of educational research. The course provides opportunities for students to enhance their skills for reading, analyzing, and writing scholarly/academic work. The epistemological assumptions about the nature of knowledge and the relationship between theory and evidence will also be examined. A central goal of the course is to instill a culture of disciplined inquiry. This course is required for all MEd and MA students.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Critically examine the purposes, benefits and limitations of education research
    2. Develop an understanding of the methods of educational research, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches
    3. Demonstrate critical skills for analyzing and evaluating research / scholarly sources
    4. Demonstrate skills in academic writing (including APA guidelines), analysis, and evidence-based reasoning
  • EDUC 5003G - Research Proposal Seminar

    [Formerly EDUC5003G: Advanced Research Methods]

    This seminar course is intended for students who wish to complete an M.A. thesis or M.Ed. project. By the end of the course, students will have designed a robust research proposal and plan for pursuing their M.A. thesis or M.Ed. project. This course will support students as they develop comprehensive strategies for locating and assessing scholarly sources and designing the foundational elements of their thesis or project. Students will establish meaningful and manageable research questions for investigation, create a compelling proposal introduction, including relevant theoretical and/or conceptual frameworks, write a thoughtful, well-organized literature review, explore and identify applicable research methodologies, and create appropriate data collection tools (if applicable). Students planning to collect original data for their thesis or project will complete research ethics board training. 

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Clearly identify meaningful and relevant research problems for inquiry and investigation, as well as relevant theoretical / conceptual underpinnings
    2. Demonstrate critical skills for analyzing and evaluating research / scholarly sources
    3. Articulate and critically assess quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches to research, especially as applied to the fields of education and digital technologies
    4. Communicate effectively regarding possible research outcomes, interpretation of findings, design limitations, and possible research and practical implications
    5. Demonstrate skills in academic writing (including APA guidelines), analysis, and evidence-based reasoning by creating a research proposal

Theme 1: Education and Digital Innovation

  • EDUC 5101G - Innovative Digital Pedagogies

    [Formerly EDUC5101G: Digital Tools for Constructing Knowledge]

    This course explores a variety of innovative digital pedagogies to enhance learning. Using constructivist and transformative perspectives (including, but not limited to, connectivism, connected learning, constructionism and production pedagogies, design-based learning, inquiry-based learning, game-based learning, immersive learning and discovery/play-based learning) as frameworks, this course invites students to explore creative teaching and learning practices mediated by digital technologies.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Critically analyze research regarding innovative digital pedagogies
    2. Critique applications of technology in teaching and learning
    3. Examine how specific teaching and learning strategies are associated with various support/tools and subsequently influence on learning
    4. Design instructional strategies/programs that employ appropriate technologies that reflect current research findings
    5. Evaluate the use of technological interventions for different components of the teaching/learning process such as planning, assessment, implementation, and administration
  • EDUC 5103G - Innovative Online Learning Spaces

    [Formerly EDUC5103G: Online Technology in Education]

    This course explores integrating online technology (e.g., synchronous and asynchronous communication and learning management systems) into educational practice. Students will learn how online technology enhances and inhibits learning, accessibility, reflection, and learning performance. Students will also reimagine learning spaces through an examination of formal (e.g., learning management systems) and informal (e.g., social media) approaches while building a community of critical thinkers who collaborate with each other to build their own understanding and develop lifelong learning skills to address complex problems.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Critique strategic approaches and learning theories for effective online learning environments
    2. Explore and evaluate a variety of digital tools and resources for use in online learning environments
    3. Explore the affordances and constraints of online learning digital technologies
    4. Articulate and critically evaluate potential ways that digital technologies might be used to create, remix, adopt or apply solutions to educational problems or questions
    5. Discuss opportunities and challenges in online learning to support individual and collective learning
  • EDUC 5104G - Analysis and Design of Digital Learning Tools

    [Formerly EDUC5104G: Analysis and Design of Web-based Learning Tools]

    This course allows students to investigate, analyze and design digital learning tools (DLTs). Key areas addressed include defining and categorizing DLTs, exploring learning theories and instructional design principles that support the design of DLTs, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of using DLTs, and analyzing and assessing the qualities of effective DLTs. After developing a solid, evidence-based foundation for DLT design, students will create their own DLTs.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Identify the essential design and learning features of digital learning tools
    2. Explain learning theories underlying the design of digital learning tools
    3. Critically examine key instructional design principles used to create digital learning tools
    4. Develop criteria for evaluating digital learning tools based on learning theories and instructional design principles
    5. Create a digital learning tool grounded in sound learning theories and instructional design principles
  • EDUC 5109G - Emerging Trends and Issues in Learning Technologies

    We live in a time of constant change, complexity and disruption that calls for educators to be aware of and critically evaluate emerging trends and issues in learning technologies. Educators need to develop robust future literacies, including radical imagination, flexibility, and relational systems thinking. This course has three primary goals: 1) critically explore the social issues inherent in using new digital learning technologies; 2) acquaint students with some of the affordances and constraints of new digital learning technologies, and 3) help students develop basic skills in designing, making, and/or evaluating educational uses of these new pedagogies and technologies. Some of the learning technologies that may be explored include augmented/virtual/mixed reality, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, the Internet of Things (smart devices), wearables, and biometrics.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Explore the affordances and constraints of new physical and ubiquitous digital technologies
    2. Critically explore and articulate the social issues inherent in using digital learning technologies
    3. Develop basic skills in designing, making, and/or evaluating educational uses of digital technologies
    4. Critically analyze sociocultural digital literacy practices while considering the ethics involved in selecting and using technologies for learning
    5. Critically analyze the concept of futures literacies and global competencies as they relate to prototyping, reverse-engineering, design thinking, liberatory design, design fiction, and policy or social analysis
    6. Use technology to support both their own learning and the collective learning of others in the course
  • EDUC 5110G - Global Perspectives in Education and Technology

    This course will explore global perspectives on digital technology and innovation. Students will situate their learning within their lived cultural and professional contexts while appreciating the lens of the “other” and critically challenging previously held constructs. Influences such as identity, culture, accessibility, and the role of digital technology will be addressed. In addition, students will examine alternative world views about the role of digital technology in education and across additional academic spheres (e.g., health, economy, socio-demographics, geography). Factors such as the role of misinformation, the use of social media to shape global perspectives, and the deconstruction of traditional power structures will be analyzed with a focus on disruptive innovation and how education can help improve the human condition.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Identify and critically analyze a variety of global perspectives on digital technology and innovation.
    2. l Interrogate the factors that contribute to diverse global perspectives, including but not limited to power structures, stereotypes, geography, accessibility, and gender.
    3. Debate, challenge and deconstruct their own narratives and lived experiences
    4. Discuss the role of disruptive innovation in the change process, and articulate diverse perspectives and examples of how digital technology has impacted the human condition.
    5. Identify the ways in which mis/disinformation can impact global perspectives and shape individual and organizational values and actions.
  • EDUC 5111G - Social Media and Education

    Social media have evolved and expanded over the past decade, and these remain popular connective, collaborative, and sharing platforms for people of all ages. The merging of technology into education has questioned whether social media have a place in education. Students will critically investigate the pedagogical foundation of various social media platforms and how social media can cultivate learning skills. Students will use social media to investigate the impact, challenges, and benefits in educational settings and also explore social media specifically as they relate to global competencies.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Evaluate and analyze the varieties and uses of current social media available
    2. Explore and compare social media from an educational perspective
    3. Explain the benefits, challenges, and impact of social media as they relate to learning skills
    4. Examine theories on promoting global competencies in the classroom and how they relate to using social media in education
    5. Design ways in which social media can be used in education that would promote global competencies
    6. Assess new ideas about social networking in the classroom

Theme 2: Innovative Leadership in Education

  • EDUC 5201G - Foundations of Leadership

    In this course, students will examine and critically assess foundational leadership theorists and research, established and emerging leadership theories from diverse perspectives, including critical theories. Students will also explore leadership roles and the associated challenges, dilemmas and opportunities faced in educational, public and human service organizations. Finally, students will develop a well-informed, evidence-based, personalized leadership philosophy.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Examine and differentiate a variety of established and emerging positions, models, and theories of leadership
    2. Investigate key theorists who have contributed to the knowledge base in the field of leadership
    3. Analyze leadership challenges and opportunities using various leadership theoretical frameworks
    4. Apply diverse leadership ideas, models, and theories of leadership to a wide range of contextual circumstances and problems/dilemmas
    5. Develop an evidence-based, personalized philosophy of leadership
  • EDUC 5203G - Leadership for Change and Educational Reform

    [Formerly EDUC5203G: Dynamics of Change]

    This course explores key change theories in educational contexts. Change theories and models will be analyzed and applied to a wide range of educational, public and human service situations. The role of culture, society and critical stakeholders is central to this exploration. Other major concepts will include but are not limited to examining the role of vision, mission, power and privilege, institutional culture, as well as resistance to change.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Explore, interrogate, and critically reflect on key change theories and models in educational contexts
    2. Engage in a personal and collaborative study of change processes through readings, inquiry, online multimedia presentations, dialogue, discussions, and debates.
    3. Analyze and evaluate factors that inhibit and support change in a wide range of educational settings
    4. Recognize and articulate how societal structures and cultures operate in promoting and inhibiting change.
    5. Apply relevant theories, research, and perspectives to specific educational change scenarios to develop a deeper, personalized understanding of change experiences
    6. Identify and investigate meaningful and relevant change problems and issues
  • EDUC 5205G - Leadership and Technology

    This course will explore the intersection between critical educational leadership principles and evidence-based models of technology integration. Course topics will include creating a shared vision, conducting a needs analysis, examining access and security issues, enhancing technology integration into instruction and assessment, creating effective professional development and exploring infrastructure.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Research, analyze, discuss, and understand the role of vision in effective technology leadership
    2. Investigate and apply theories of leadership and technology use into practice.
    3. Develop and present an artifact on technology leadership that identifies the potential, affordances, barriers and issues related to technology.
    4. Review the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards for technology leaders and apply them to analyze policy or leadership practice.
    5. Synthesize the course readings, discussions and presentations and develop and articulate a philosophy of technology leadership.
  • EDUC 5208G - Leadership for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

    Leadership in education and similar organizations is directly connected to building teams and promoting learning environments where relationships are key.  In this course, students will examine and deconstruct the dominant perspectives in traditional educational leadership theories through a critical lens and identify barriers to inclusive leadership. Students will also examine key problems of practice that center around building social justice and equity in education, public and human service workplaces. Students will apply theory and resources toward building equitable, inclusive solutions. In doing so, students will be encouraged to investigate leadership paradigms that are more responsive to and respectful of diversity.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Engage in a culture of disciplined inquiry and critically assess the nature of knowledge and the relationships between theory, evidence and practice and to interrogate views, theories and understandings of leadership;
    2. Interrogate, and critically reflect on embedded structures and power dynamics in educational spaces; structures, particularly examining how privilege and oppression operate in education policy, practice and outcomes in online spaces;
    3. Critically assess the varied and contested values and impacts associated with leadership in education; and advance inquiry into authentic, ill-defined educational problems, recognizing the complexities of multiple components of a problem / solution in relation to the whole.
    4. Identify, articulate and critically analyze assumptions, values, biases, and ideologies, recognizing and challenging the systemic values that underpin educational arguments, claims, and policies.
  • EDUC 5209G - Critical Issues in Leadership and Education

    This course will identify critical issues facing public education in Canada, including but not limited to governance and government relations, internationalization, quality assurance, Indigenous education, and equity, diversity and inclusion. Students will also examine the organizational structures that exist in Canadian education and the differences across multiple provincial jurisdictions.  Finally, students will investigate how social, societal, and political factors are connected to educational leadership, as well as organizational and systemic change.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Develop an understanding of the broader Canadian education system, and acquire an overview of major issues facing public education
    2. Understand and assess how critical issues in education connect to and can be addressed through education leadership
    3. Articulate and examine the knowledge gaps that exist in education literature within the context of the Canadian education system
    4. Explore and apply concepts of leadership theory to organizational change drivers that could impact key issues facing education in Canada  

Theme 3: Critical Explorations in Learning

  • EDUC 5301G - Educational Innovation for Interdisciplinary Learning

    [Formerly EDUC5301G: Foundations of Curriculum for the 21st Century]

    This course will explore research in interdisciplinary learning, with a specific focus on how educational innovations can be leveraged to support student learning and to foster inclusive and responsive teaching practices. Through a combination of critical debate, investigative research, and collaborative learning, students will examine assumptions about educational innovations, interdisciplinary learning, and their respective impact on students’ experiences and sense-making. The course will explore tensions and opportunities experienced by teachers and students who engage in innovative, interdisciplinary practices. The disciplinary foci of this course will change with each offering. In a given term, the course may focus on educational innovations in subject areas such as mathematics, language, STEAM, physical education, and higher education, depending on the faculty member teaching the course.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Enhance critical skills for analyzing empirical and theoretical research regarding interdisciplinary teaching and learning in K-16 classrooms.
    2. Formulate and articulate meaningful, critical questions and arguments regarding the effectiveness of educational innovations for supporting student learning, as well as the suitability of research methodologies for analyzing and appraising educational innovations.
    3. Enhance and articulate critical understanding of the relationships amongst interdisciplinary learning, educational innovation, inclusivity, accessibility, diversity, and equity.
    4. Develop competencies in scholarly knowledge mobilization practices through the creation and presentation of research-based written and digital artifacts that articulate informed and critical perspectives on the possibilities and limitations of educational innovations for interdisciplinary learning.
  • EDUC 5302G - Critical Debates in Education

    This course will tackle issues concerning the ethical, moral, and civic responsibilities of education. The course will explore a range of imperative educational debates and issues at the intersection of curriculum, student experience, and social justice. The focus of the course is to foster skill and fluency in academic debate that leverages research-informed knowing, critical reasoning, and data literacy. Students will develop new awareness of and competencies for interrogating critical issues and educational trends, with an eye toward disrupting and reimagining educational systems that have marginalized learners at large scales.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Enhance essential skills for analyzing, interrogating, and debating critical educational issues with research informed arguments.
    2. Leverage scholarly and professional practices to formulate, articulate, and respond to meaningful, critical questions and arguments regarding educational systems and their impacts on curricular goals, student experiences, and social justice.
    3. Enhance understanding of trends and underlying quantitative metrics to interrogate and articulate the relationships amongst educational school systems, curriculum policy, student experiences, and inclusivity, accessibility, diversity, and equity.
    4. Develop competencies in scholarly knowledge mobilization practices through the creation and presentation of research-based written and digital artifacts that articulate informed and critical perspectives of course topics
  • EDUC 5304G - Critical Digital Literacies and Global Competencies

    [Formerly EDUC5304G: Digital Literacy: Theory, Practice and Research]

    We consume and produce a wide variety of media/digital texts on a daily basis. This requires us to decode, comprehend, summarize, interpret and analyze, as well as develop and use design skills and technical competencies. This course examines the impact of digital technologies with a view to understanding what it means to be literate in a digital age. Students will also consider how critical digital literacies intersect with global competencies such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, citizenship and self-directed learning, and explore how multi-modal digital literacies act as powerful media for social transformation.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Critically examine issues of digital literacies and definitions of digital literacies as they relate to individuals and society
    2. Analyze literacies as social, cultural, political, and economical practices
    3. Investigate how critical digital literacies intersect with global competencies
    4. Explore & problematize the intersections of multiliteracies, new literacy studies, multimodal literacy, new literacies, digital literacies and critical literacies
    5. Critically analyze digital literacy practices and situations and select the best technologies/media for each project, audience, and subject
    6. Develop a conceptualization of the assessment of critical digital literacies
  • EDUC 5305G - Alternative and Inclusive Assessment

    [Formerly EDUC5305G: Authentic Assessment]

    Assessment is a critical feature in pedagogy to support student learning. However, current assessment practices may overemphasize summative evaluation and exclude students.  In this course, students will explore and critically assess a wide range of innovative, alternative and inclusive assessment approaches. Students will design assessment strategies framed by principles of social justice and inclusion. Students will also analyze their own lived experiences of assessment from the viewpoint of social justice and/or inclusion and apply this knowledge to assessment design in their professional contexts.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Critically analyze current assessment practices and policies from the viewpoints of social justice and inclusion
    2. Investigate the challenges and barriers to effective assessment practices
    3. Explore current theory and research on alternative and inclusive assessment
    4. Discuss and reflect on how alternative and inclusive assessment practices could be implemented in a variety of cultural contexts
    5. Create and share artifacts that build deeper understandings of alternative and inclusive assessment
  • EDUC 5306G - Youth, Media and Popular Culture

    This course is positioned at the intersection of education, popular culture, and youth/young adult experiences. The course explores questions concerning the social construction of youth, knowledge and power in communities, schools and in the media, representations of social identities, and use of digital media within social spaces. Students will critically analyze popular media (e.g, films, video games, music, and social media) and create pop culture artifacts using diverse digital tools. Students will also explore the complex relationships between identity, performance, representation, consumption, power, authority, and culture, with the goal of examining how educators can incorporate popular culture and media in ways that contribute to learning.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Identify and examine the impact of popular culture and media on education and educational design for youth and young adults
    2. Critically analyze the impact of pop culture artifacts, media and media practices on the social identities of youth and young adults.
    3. Explain how popular culture, media and the adoption of contemporary media practices can contribute to educational success for youth and young adults
    4. Discuss and apply research and theories of popular culture and media in learning contexts through the design of educational resources and pop culture artifacts for youth and young adults

Theme 4: Mental Health and Wellness

  • EDUC 5405G - Mental Health and Well-being in the Digital Age

    This course will critically assess theories and research related to mental health in the digital age. Students will consider how technology can act as both a risk and a protective factor for well-being across the lifespan. Topics explored throughout the course include, but are not limited to: the role of technology in anxiety and depression, technology as a benefit and protective factor, best practices for learning, motivation, and performance, inclusive communities, digital wellness, digital citizenship, global challenges, global competencies, and resiliency and flourishing. The course design allows students to choose their areas of interest and encourages students to examine topics from personal, professional and evidence-based lenses.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Distinguish, articulate, and critically assess theories and research related to mental health, well-being, and technological pedagogies
    2. Distinguish and articulate the various components of mental health and well-being such as the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social domains and risk and protective factors
    3. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationships between theory, evidence and practice as it applies to action-based research in the area of mental health
    4. Formulate and articulate meaningful questions and arguments, written & oral, that build and advance knowledge in the fields of developmental psychology, mental health, education, and digital technology
    5. Make evidence-based conclusions and recommendations, written and oral, about the impact and effective uses of digital technologies to support mental health and well-being
    6. Demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on personal use and impact of technology in order to make informed decisions for a healthy living approach
  • EDUC 5406G - Digital Wellness

    Digital Wellness is described as both a process and an outcome. It allows people to flourish in life and develop healthy relationships with technology. In this course, students will explore digital wellness from a personal and professional lens. In particular, students will examine research related to technology’s impact on well-being and development, explore frameworks related to digital wellness, and develop a deeper understanding of psychological frameworks that support mental health. Students will also critically examine the knowledge and skills required to develop digital wellness at various developmental stages. Key concepts explored in the course include mental health literacy, emotional intelligence in the digital age, self-awareness and reflection, critical thinking, social-emotional learning, self-regulation, self-care, and coping strategies. This course will provide students with the tools to assess and develop their own digital wellness as well as support the digital wellness of others.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Distinguish, articulate, and critically assess theories and research related to digital wellness, well-being, and technological pedagogies
    2. Critically assess the role of culture, gender, socio-economic status, education, equity, and lifestyle as they apply the use of technology and well-being
    3. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationships between theory, evidence and practice as it applies to action-based research in the area of mental health
    4. Formulate and articulate meaningful questions, hypotheses, and arguments in discussions and written documents that build and advance knowledge in the fields of developmental psychology, mental health, education and digital technology
    5. Make evidence-based conclusions and recommendations, written and oral, about the impact and effective uses of digital technologies to support mental health and well-being
  • EDUC 5407G - Trauma-Informed Education

    This course focuses on the relationship between trauma and learning in educational institutions. Many students have or will experience trauma that directly affects their development, learning, and educational experiences. It is important to understand the various forms of trauma people may experience, such as domestic violence, war, injury, victimization, and cyberbullying. In this course, students will explore research on how trauma affects the learning process, including impairments to memory, information processing, motivation, and self-efficacy. With this foundational knowledge, students will examine how to create trauma-informed and responsive teaching pedagogies. Trauma-informed approaches in education seek to reduce re-traumatization, create a safe place for learning, and use specific teaching strategies to promote student success. Throughout the course, we explore how technologies can be used to create trauma-responsive educational practices. ​

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Critically evaluate theories and research related to trauma
    2. Articulate how trauma impacts learning, mental health and development of individuals
    3. Evaluate and critique current educational practices and structures and their trauma responsiveness
    4. Develop trauma responsive teaching strategies
    5. Critically assess the role of technology in trauma informed education and care
  • EDUC 5408G – Mindfulness in Technology-Infused Education

    The ubiquitous stress we face in our modern technology-infused world of living and learning can create additional strain and tension. This course explores the literature regarding the potential mental health implications of living in a technology-infused society and mindfulness practice. Students will explore the history of mindfulness, critically analyze mindfulness and related research and, through critical debate, research and collaboration, investigate the challenges and benefits of engaging in and integrating mindfulness to address technology-based mental health issues.  Throughout the course, students will participate in and explore various ways to engage in mindfulness, including how we might harness the power of mindfulness via technological applications.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Investigate the potential mental health implications of living in a technology-infused society
    2. Explore the history and key characteristics of mindfulness
    3. Explore research-supported benefits associated with mindfulness practice
    4. Research and critique how technology might support mindfulness practice
    5. Apply theory to practice via engagement in a variety of mindful practices

Theme 5: Equity and Inclusion in Education

  • EDUC 5502G - Social and Cultural Contexts of Education

    It is incumbent upon educators to understand how the current digital age shapes and responds to social and cultural contexts for learners. This course will explore power, privilege and socio-cultural differences as intersectional factors that have impacted education over time. The investigative approaches will include ethical reasoning, deconstruction, and sociological analysis of lived experiences and contemporary issues. Students will have the opportunity to critically examine their own academic, professional, and personal learning journeys.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Develop an understanding of how the current digital age shapes education and learning experiences.
    2. Articulate how and why learners in the digital age are impacted differently by social and cultural contexts.
    3. Appreciate the value of the concept of intersectionality as it relates to power, privilege, and sociocultural factors in education.
    4. Explore different investigative approaches to social and cultural contexts in educational research.
    5. Critically reflect on their own lived experiences with education.
  • EDUC 5503G - Decolonizing Education

    Indigenous education has existed for time immemorial. Since the arrival of settlers in what is currently called Canada, Indigenous approaches to teaching and learning have been disrupted, although not eradicated, through various means. Indigenization and decolonization provide a path forward to re-centre Indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing to challenge Euro-Western dominance in education inside and beyond formal schooling contexts. Informed by decolonizing theory, this course examines historical and contemporary Indigenous education, emphasizing experiences in Canada. Students will also examine how technology is enabling opportunities for Indigenous students to learn in diverse settings, as well as for non-Indigenous peoples to learn from Indigenous communities.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Relate principles of Indigenous and decolonizing education models to learning inside and beyond formal schooling settings
    2. Describe the effects of various policies on Indigenous peoples and communities in Canada and around the world
    3. Examine technologies Indigenous peoples and communities are using to maintain heritage, culture, and well-being
    4. Assess how Indigenization and decolonization relates to one’s practice
    5. Revise, and synthesize course materials and other educational sources in a variety of contexts based on principles of Indigenous education
  • EDUC 5504G - Inclusive Pedagogical Spaces

    This course will investigate assumptions and implicit biases about inclusion in pedagogical spaces, including online environments. Students will use socio-political frameworks to interrogate embedded educational systems that support inclusion and exclusion in education. Students will explore the multiple and intersecting identities that people have and the variety of ways that identities can be included and excluded in education.  Topics such as belonging, (intersectional) identities, democracy, and critical consciousness will also be explored. We will anchor each interrogation in research and our own experiences.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Critically assess our assumptions and implicit biases associated with inclusion in education.
    2. Apply intersectional approaches to personal and social identities.
    3. Explore theoretical frameworks for inclusion and exclusion in education.
    4. Interrogate our own lived experiences of knowledge and knowledge production in pedagogical spaces.
    5. Investigate embedded societal structures, particularly privilege and oppression, and power dynamics in online spaces.
  • EDUC 5506G - Foundations for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

    The growing diversity of the learner population in Canada and the emergence of student voice require a rethinking of pedagogical beliefs and assumptions about the nature of learning in schools and higher education. In this course, students will be encouraged to disrupt historical and societal norms and examine curriculum and pedagogy through a critical pedagogy lens that includes culturally-responsive pedagogy, critical pedagogy and decolonizing pedagogies. Students will investigate and apply these theoretical foundations of equity, diversity and inclusion toward problems of practice in K-12 and higher education, examining the factors that have informed their belief systems and seeking to transform the education experience moving forward.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Critically assess learning theories in education
    2. Examine authentic educational problems related to the unequal outcomes of schooling.
    3. interrogate and reflect on different educational standpoints, including personal identity.
    4. identify, articulate and critically analyze assumptions, values, biases, ideologies and evidence underpinning education outcomes.
    5. recognize and articulate how societal structures, particularly privilege and oppression operate in educational policy, practice and outcomes.
  • EDUC 5507G - Accessible Learning with Technology

    Accessibility issues impact a large percentage of learners’ ability to participate and succeed in formal and informal learning contexts. In this course, students will research and explore the potential impacts of accessibility barriers on learners. Students will also examine various regulatory standards for students with disabilities and their implications for educators, learners, and organizations. Students will explore the connections between accessibility standards and common instructional design frameworks. Finally, students will identify and use tools and strategies for the creation and sharing of accessible documents, instructional resources and environments.

    Learning Outcomes:

    1. Examine and evaluate research on the potential impacts of physical, mental, and learning disabilities on learners’ participation and achievement in K12, higher education, workplace, and informal learning contexts.
    2. Explore and critically assess the relevant guidelines and regulations pertaining to accessibility, the design of learning resources and environments, and the provision of support to learners with accessibility needs.
    3. Critically analyze the impact of relevant regulations and supports on the design and delivery of learning resources and environments.
    4. Explore and evaluate research on the impact of accessibility guidelines and common instructional design frameworks, such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Universal Instructional Design (UID).
    5. Identify and evaluate potential accessibility tools and resources that could be used in K12, higher education, workplace, and informal learning contexts
    6. Apply accessibility design principles to create digital instructional resources that adhere to regulatory requirements and common accessibility and instructional design guidelines.

Special Topics

  • EDUC 5900G - Special Topics in Education and Digital Technologies
    Special topics courses present material in an emerging field or one not covered in regular offerings. Each year up to two or three special topics in technology and informatics courses may be offered to enable students to experience particular topics in depth.
  • EDUC 5901G - Directed Studies
    Faculty permission may be given for supervised research projects, individual study or directed readings in a specialized area not covered in the regular course offerings. Students wishing to pursue a course of directed studies must, with a qualified faculty member who is willing to supervise such a course, formulate a proposal accurately describing the course title, learning goals, content, reading list, course activities and schedule; the intended method and extent of supervision; and the method by which work will be evaluated. This course may be only taken once (three credits).